The Hide
CEDARBERG RATING
Premier
Overview
The Hide is a well-known and well-loved classic safari lodge in its own concession adjacent to Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. This owner-run camp has grown organically over the decades and is particularly known for its excellent and enthusiastic guiding team and warm personal hospitality.
The main area at The Hide is a picturesque A-frame thatched lodge with dining room and sun lounge downstairs and a large comfortable lounge/viewing area upstairs. Meals are generally a relaxed communal affair, served in elegance and style around their magnificent 22-seater Zimbabwe teak table. Breakfast is usually served alfresco on the terrace under the trees overlooking their large and productive waterhole. There’s also a swimming pool for cooling down in between game activities.
The Lodge
A tented camp is perhaps the definitive African safari experience, as you are able to hear the sounds of the bush all around you in the cool of the night. The small size of The Hide Safari Lodge is one of its differentiating features, as this means that you have an intimate atmosphere in camp, as well as a greater feeling of the untrammelled open spaces of the bush when you are on a game drive.
Accommodation
The Hide has 10 large deluxe tents under thatch. All have spectacular views over the main waterhole. Each is beautifully furnished with solid Zimbabwe teak furniture and en suite bathroom. They are fan cooled for your summer comfort with extra warm blankets and hot water bottles for the cool winter months. Each has a private veranda from you can be entertained by the large variety of game at the waterhole. Two honeymoon tents have with outside baths where you can relax in your bath and enjoy the stunning view over the waterhole. There is also two family suites.
Activities
Activities at The Hide include professionally guided walks, day and night game drives, visits to their hide (of course) and sleep-outs at the romantic Dove’s Nest. The Hide prides itself on offering as much game-viewing as each guest wants. You can participate in four different game activities each day if you wish! On request your morning game drive can be stretched out to include a picnic breakfast or lunch at one of the excellent waterholes in Hwange so that you can travel further.
Game Walks on its own private concession area can also be arranged with a professional guide - this is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the flora and fauna of the bush. The lodge can also arrange short night drives after dinner as it lies on its own private concession. The Hide Safari Lodge boasts great bird life (over 400 species recorded) with great photo opportunities both out in the open or in the underground hide at the camp waterhole where you can stay for as long as you like with a radio-link to the lodge and a picnic lunch if required.
Tom’s Little Hide
Tom’s Little Hide is an exclusive use Safari House with three large luxury rooms, all overlooking the main waterhole. Each room has its own en-suite bathroom with bath, outside and inside shower. The spacious bedrooms are furnished with solid Zimbabwe teak furniture, mosquito nets and fans. Two are in the main homestead and can accommodate an extra bed in each. The third bedroom is a family tent (with alfresco bathroom) with an inter-leading children's room for 2 extra kids. So it is best suited for up to 6 adults with an additional 4 children.
Tom’s Little Hide comes with its own private guide and vehicle, in order for you to take full advantage of all the activities, at your own pace.
The Private Hide
3-4 of the main lodge's tents can be separated and sold as exclusive use. In this case, you use the Private Hide as the central eating and dining area. A private guide and vehicle would be provided. The Private Hide can be booked for a minimum of 2 people.
At A Glance
Good Food & Wine
Swimming pool
Romantic
Rural location
Walking Safari
Wildlife
In Pictures
The Hide on the map
Rooms
Deluxe Tent
The Hide sleeps up to 20 guests in ten comfortable and spacious deluxe, family deluxe and honeymoon deluxe tents. The tents have a myriad of different configurations with indoor and/or outdoor bathtubs and showers. They are fan cooled for your comfort in summer and have extra warm blankets and hot water bottles for the cool winter months. Each has a private veranda from where guests may be entertained by the comings and goings of a large variety of game at the waterhole. One tent is wheelchair friendly.
Toms Little Hide
Tom’s Little Hide is best suited for 6 adults and up to 4 children.
Rooms 1 and 2, both double en-suite bedrooms, form the main part of Tom’s Little Hide and can also accommodate one child in each on a roomy day bed. The bedrooms are linked by a dining room and outside veranda, complete with sparkling swimming pool.
Room 3 is more of a family tent with an outside bathroom and inter-leading children’s room, which can accommodate two children. Room 3 and 4 are entirely enclosed for the safety of the family and children.
Tom’s Little Hide comes with its own private guide and vehicle, in order for you to take full advantage of all the activities, at your own pace. Booking is done on a minimum of 4 pax.
*Special Children under 10 stay for free. 01 January 2020 - 31 March 2021*
The Private Hide
When using The Private Hide, guests stay in The Hide’s tents – Tent 7, 6, 5 and/or 4, depending on the numbers. Tents 7 and 6 are large deluxe or family tents, which can accommodate two adults and two children in full-size beds. Each room has its own en suite bathroom – indoor bath, inside and outdoor shower and hot water all day. All rooms are mosquito-proofed and have fans for your comfort during the warmer months. It can be booked on a minimum of 2 pax.
It includes:
Private safari vehicle & Professional Guide
Private & flexible dining
Children of all ages are welcome
*Special Children under 10 stay for free. 01 January 2020 - 31 March 2021*
The Hide Review, Hwange Park, Zimbabwe
Hwange is an easy 2 hour transfer from Victoria Falls town, slightly less from the airport. The transfer stops at Hwange Main Camp on the edge of the park and then each of the Hwange game lodges collect you in their 4x4 vehicles. Depending on which camp you are staying at, this might be anything from 10 mins to some of the lodges on the edge of the park to over an hour to one of the private concessions in Hwange National Park, taking the form of a game drive.
Hwange is vast – approx 150km by 150km, Hwange has no major rivers so dry season game-viewing is VERY concentrated around the pumped waterholes. However in the wet season, the water stays in the depressions/pans and the animals spread out over this vast area, especially in early summer just after the rains. Later in the summer, they start coming back to their usual haunts. So its very seasonal....(you have been warned)
The Hide is looking great. It remains very much an authentic safari lodge but the tents are now very luxurious - spacious and well appointed. The Hide is very serious about its game-viewing and offers not two activities per day (as is the norm) but up to four activities. It has 3 professional fully qualified Zimbabwe guides (qualified for walking etc) which is very impressive as most places have 1 or 2 such guides plus more junior guides. As you may know, the Zimbabwe guiding standards are extremely high and thus known throughout the guiding industry of Africa.
Typically their pattern of activities is an follows: an early morning drive/game walk (walking on their private concession) from 5.30am/6am to breakfast time. After breakfast there’s a mid morning game drive – typically from 9am to 12pm, lunch and siesta time followed by a mid afternoon game drive/walk – from approx 4pm to 6.30pm/7pm. Then after dinner there is a night drive (on their private concession time) from 9pm to 10pm or later. So if you are keen to get the most from your safari, The Hide will be the perfect destination. Alternatively they also offer full day game drives to travel further into Hwange National Park with packed lunch.
There’s also an underground hide (excellent in dry season) overlooking the waterhole - what a surprise! In the dry season you may need to be driven back to camp – even during the day - as sometimes there are too many elephants around between the hide on one side of the water and the camp on the other!
Back at camp there’s also a small swimming pool for relaxing during the day, a lovely sitting area overlooking the waterhole and a large festive communal table for dining. Overall The Hide has a super ambience and I don’t hesitate to recommend it!
Exclusive Offers
Combo Offer - 6 for 5
Spend 3 nights at The Hide and 3 nights at Changa Safari Lodge and get one night free (6 nights for 5)
Spend 6 nights on safari with 3 nights at The Hide and 3 nights at Changa Safari Lodge and one of those nights will be complimentary (ie Stay 6 nights, pay for only 5)
9 night safari with free flights
Spend 3 nights each at The Hide, Changa & John's Camp and get 3 complimentary flights between camps
Spend 9 nights on safari with 3 nights at The Hide, 2 or 3 nights at Changa Safari Lodge, 3 nights at John's Camp in Mana Pools and 3 flights in between on complimentary basis (from camp to Camp.)
Terms & Conditions: Also valid May to October 2022
